Why do we fear the culture of fear? The notion that our country is safer, that security is tighter...is overshadowed by the concept of a growing paternal government. The rights of state versus the rights of men can be an argument that lasts for ages, but when talking about terrorism and natural state conditions, the prioritization of the rights of state is second nature. I always go back to the same definition of terrorism and the intention of terrorizing a nation: kill few, harm more, scare thousands. I wanted to discuss a question that was brought up in class...what is the difference between terrorism and homicide? The recent death of Professor Marcum didn’t stop me from feeling safe walking around Tenleytown at night or making a late night CVS run alone. However, the metro terrorism threat did make me think twice (but didn’t stop me) when I went to the Rally to Restore Sanity/March to Keep Fear Alive. I was more aware of the surrounding atmosphere that was relatively fresh, and I did bear in mind that such a large gathering of people could be an ideal place for a terroristic act to take place.
I can’t believe that the difference in attitudes just stems from intention of the two, but I do think that it is a large part of the reason why we don’t feel threatened by the same things. However, I think that the main reason we don’t equate the two is primarily because of the priority we give it- we “know” it won’t happen to us. But wait- did those passengers on September 11th ever think they would be the victims of one of the most historic terrorist attacks? We can’t know it won’t happen to us...and that is why a culture of fear is our greatest asset. Aware people, aware security, better and more thorough checks...there’s no reason to not feel safe (because it’ll never happen to you...).
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